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| Movies,
Jerry Carpenter,
05 February 2001 |
Rating: F4
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I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that the band Led Zeppelin were a bit crap really. The only songs they had of note were ‘When the Levy Breaks’ and ‘Kashmir’, and Puff Daddy did that one better. So the concept of sitting through an entire film about young journalist trailing a Zeppelin-esque band on tour in the US shouldn’t really bang my can. But this is a Cameron Crowe film and he never really makes anything less than charming, inoffensive product – face it, ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Singles’ are really sweet films. Add to this that is Crowe’s autobiographical labour of love based on his days as a green-around-the-gills journo for ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine and suddenly the film becomes a nicer prospect. Then add my favourite actor-de-jour Jason Lee in there as the band’s singer and I’m the champing at the bit.
In a nutshell then, the young Cameron character convinces the longhairs from the up-and-coming band Stillwater to let him hang out with them on their tour so he can get one big interview for ‘Rolling Stone’ with the group’s maverick lead guitarist played by Billy Crudup. On the road he begins to fall in love with Crudup’s groupie/muse Katie Hudson, and this split between his affections for her and Crudup who he idolises fires the majority of the film. Acting as his conscience at the end of phone as he moves from hotel to hotel are his ever worried mother, who thinks he’s about to have his innocence destroyed, and real life journo Lester Bangs (played by my other fave guy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman !) who sagely warns him of the incompatibility of being both a sincere music journalist and friend to the band.
It’s obviously not ‘Spinal Tap’, which still remains the best rock film ever, but it does share a similar approach in laughing at the musicians while still keeping them likeable human characters. There’s nothing here in all the sex, drugs & rock n’ roll related malarkey that hasn’t been done before in films like ‘That’ll be the day’ and even ‘Slade in Flame’, but Crowe brings an almost sentiment-free nostalgic feel to the proceedings that makes the experience all the more compelling. This could so easily have been an over-indulgent cheese fest, but the savy script and an all-round fantastic cast make this Crowe’s best film to date. Still don’t like Led Zeppelin, though.
UK rating:
18
US rating:
R
Directed by Cameron Crowe
Starring Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup
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